Hitting the Ceiling

Joe Doakes e-mails from Como Park with a preview of what the new debate over the debate ceiling between President Obama and the Republicans might look like:

O: Democrats will not let Republicans hold this country and the global economy hostage. They must raise the debt ceiling without insisting on spending cuts. In fact, I insist on tax increases.

R: Total federal spending approved for 2012 was about 38 and anticipated income was about 24 (million, billion, trillion, doesn’t matter; what matters is the relative numbers). It looks like we’ll be short 14. Raising taxes on millionaires might get us 1, at best. How to you plan to come up with the rest?

O: Borrow it.

R: We’re maxed out.

O: Raise our credit limit.

R: Total federal spending in 2011 was 33 and income was 23 so we were short 10. You said if we borrowed that, you’d get serious with us to balance the budget this year. You do realize your proposed budget just went down in flames in the Senate? It didn’t get one single vote, not even one single Democrat. Do you have anything realistic to propose?

O: Hope. And Change. And possibly vague promises of future intentions. Now do it; or the New York Times will call you names.

R: Oh, okay, um, I guess that’ll be fine. Where do we sign?

It’d be funny if it wasn’t so sad.